Robocalls are security threats that often seek to steal recipients’ personal information and money. The Stopping Bad Robocalls Act would provide relief to Virginians by combating the abusive and unethical practices of robocallers.

“Republicans, Democrats, and everyone in between agree on at least one thing: we all hate robocalls,” Congresswoman Luria said. “Congress should protect Americans from the scams and abusive practices of robocallers, as well as the profound annoyance these calls cause. I’m proud to support a bipartisan effort to do just that.”

Robocalls number in the billions each year. The Stopping Bad Robocalls Act overwhelmingly passed the House Wednesday night by a 429-3 vote. Before becoming law, it must pass through the Senate and be signed by the President.

The bipartisan Stopping Bad Robocalls Act:

Requires that phone carriers implement call authentication technology so consumers can trust their caller ID again, with no additional line-item for consumers, and includes a process to help rural carriers implement this technology;

Allows carriers to offer call blocking services to consumers, with no additional line-item charge, with important transparency safeguards to make sure important calls aren’t inadvertently blocked;

Directs the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to issue rules to protect consumers from calls they didn’t agree to receive and to ensure consumers can withdraw consent;

Ensures the FCC has the authority and the tools to take strong, quick action when it tracks down robocallers, including by extending the statute of limitations from one year to as many as four years for callers violating robocall prohibitions; and

Mandates the FCC submit a report to Congress on the implementation of its reassigned numbers database to make sure the Commission is effectively protecting consumers from unwanted calls.